The War Within: Why Do We Fight Ourselves?
Some days, it feels like life is a battle — but the hardest part isn’t what’s happening outside. It’s what’s happening inside.
That tug-of-war between wanting to move forward and feeling like something invisible is pulling you back. The exhaustion of trying so hard to heal, yet still carrying the weight of the past. The frustration of watching yourself resist the very things you know would be good for you.
And then comes the self-judgment. Why am I like this? Why can’t I just let go?
But what if this battle isn’t actually about failure or weakness?
What if it’s just a conversation that hasn’t been heard yet?
The part of you that resists isn’t trying to ruin your life. It’s protecting something — a wound, a fear, an old version of you that once needed armor to survive. The resistance is there because some part of you still believes that if you let go, you’ll be hurt again.
The mind fights itself when it doesn’t feel safe to change.
Maybe you don’t need to “push through” this resistance. Maybe you just need to turn towards it and listen. What is it protecting? What is it afraid of?
And if you could speak to this part of you— the part that clenches, avoids, holds on — what would you say?
Would you meet it with the same frustration you meet yourself with every day?
Or would you gently tell it: I see you. You’re safe now. We don’t have to fight anymore.
Maybe you don’t need to win this battle at all. Maybe you just need to lay down your sword.
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Here’s an exercise:
Today, instead of trying to fight your resistance, try sitting with it. Just for a moment.
1. Find a quiet space. Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath. Let go of the idea that you have to do anything. Just be here.
2. Picture the resistance inside you. If it had a shape, what would it look like? A heavy weight? A locked door? A wall? Let whatever image comes to mind just exist.
3. Ask it gently: “What are you protecting me from?” Don’t force an answer. Just listen. If no words come, notice what you feel — tension, hesitation, a small pull in your chest.
4. Instead of fighting it, thank it. Say (silently or out loud): I see you. I know you are trying to keep me safe. But we don’t have to fight anymore.
5. Breathe. Imagine this resistance softening, even just a little. Maybe it stays. Maybe it loosens. Either way, you showed up for yourself today. And that is enough.
Resistance isn’t something you have to conquer. It’s something you can get to know. And the more you listen, the less power it will have over you.